Glimpse: Gettysburg 150 Years Later

I grew up near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, and went to the battlefield frequently when I was a boy. It was a place to play. As I grew older, I started going back and saw it as something much different. It was a place of sadness, a place to feel the tragedy of what happens when we resort to violence as a means to settle our differences. I keep going, and when I do, I spend some time quietly, mindfully surveying the ground. This year, the 150th anniversary of the Civil War’s most horrific battle is being commemorated. Writing an essay on my experiences at Gettysburg seemed an ideal way for Mindful to explore the nature of aggression.